Before I move on to other posts I want to do (and considering my absence, I have quite a few of those), I want to describe a very unpleasant experience I had last week and some lessons I learned.

Last Thursday I moved to a new place. I’m pretty used to this by now as I move, on average, slightly less than once a year – so this wasn’t supposed to be a big deal. However, this time things were quite unusual.

In order to get moving quotes from various companies, my wife filled the details of our move using some online form. She’s already done this before. Hell, who doesn’t? This is similar to the way you can get auto insurance quotes from several companies – I offer this on three of my own sites – you can do the same thing with moving companies. We got many offers, invited three to our home to give final proposals, and agreed to go with one.

It turns out that one of the companies that sent an offer which we immediately eliminated (obviously a total scam based on online reviews) figured which company we were going to go with. Then they called them, impersonated my wife and canceled our move claiming to be her. The next day they sent their people who claimed they are the representative of the moving company we called. The day before the move they also called my wife and warned her about “scams” so if anything looks out of the ordinary, she should give them a call to make sure things are fine.

Considering these, it took about an hour and a half for us to figure out we are dealing with criminals and not who we were supposed to. Thanks to Google, we also found out, in real time, what is next to come: based on dozens of online reviews, this company takes your belongings then hold them hostage until you pay, in cash, an outrageous sum (several times the amount you were promised – assuming you hired them in the first place). All these, however, were based on people who actually hired them. We never did – they got to our place in a criminal fashion. We never saw any review that mirrored our story either.

We called the police and the original moving company. After they arrived (the police sent 5 cops!) we heard that neither has heard of a similar case before (though I’d be surprised if we were the first). By then it seemed that it would be better to finish what we started – not our preferred choice, but the police took the movers’ details and assured us that they won’t try to hijack our items.

It was pretty stressful, but eventually the move ended despite fears we’ll never get our belongings OR get only some OR will have to pay a crazy sum. Or even worse.

My conclusion
Both my wife and I use the net all the time. We’ve always been very careful with our identities. Like I said, I even offer a similar service myself. Scams and frauds are one thing, criminal activity is quite another. It is important to emphasize we weren’t the only victims here, the original moving company was cheated as well (and who knows how many times?).

Despite being so careful, this unfortunate scenario still took place. So I ask, how could this have been prevented?

My advice
For starters, even if someone calls to confirm your order/move/etc, do not trust this but rather call the company yourself to confirm it.

More importantly, I think that from now on, it might be a good idea that whenever I’m asking for quotes, not to give my real name (or to alter it in a way that would be noticeable if someone were to use it). Of course, once dealing with a company, preferably in the flesh, I would use my name. Had we done this, if some criminal company were to call us or come to us using these details it would’ve been immediately obvious.

The final option is to avoid using such services.. but I think to have this attitude means going back to the stone ages. We may as well not be online at all. And the same thing could’ve happened had we done everything using phones.

Note that there’s more to this story though I can’t share it for various reasons (just yet).

Comments

I’m so sorry to hear about your move. Sadly, there are a lot of scam/rogue movers out there that are giving the industry a black eye. Unfortunately, there is little that can be done about your moving experience, but I thought I’d share a few tips to help your readers should they find themselves in a similar situation.

First, obtaining online quotes through a mover broker site is the quickest way to get caught in a bad situation. Anyone can pay these sites for leads – there is no way to guarantee that the movers are legit. Unfortunately, it’s a lot less expensive for a scammer to set up a website, do some SEO, pay for some online leads, etc. than to run and maintain a fleet of trucks, follow regulations, have a legitimate claims process, etc. so may of these “online” movers are smoke and mirrors. I can assure that legitimate movers are so busy, and on such a tight budget, that they haven’t developed an online presence large enough yet to drown these guys out. This is changing though.

Second, you should ALWAYS have an in-home survey done to get an accurate estimate. If a mover tells you that they can give you an accurate quote without seeing your belongings, they are lying to you.

For people who like to do everything online, take heart. Reputable movers will have an online form you can fill out on their website. The form is not designed to send you prices right away – it is designed to send the moving company information about your move so that they are better prepared when they call you and when they eventually come to your home.

Again, I’m sorry to hear about your move. I hope that it all works out in the end.

Best,
Paige

admin

August 23rd, 2010 at 11:38 AM

Hi Paige,

Thanks for the well thought out response and kind words! I agree with what most of what you say.

Like probably everyone, I’ve heard about moving scams. The thing that made this criminal, in my opinion, is the identity theft aspect – that someone actually dared do that. After all, if they do this, what’s to stop such people from selling my house? Quitting jobs on our behalf when we’re on vacation (send a certified letter)? I’ll stop here, but you get the idea.

Getting an in-home survey is a must – how could a company estimate a moving cost accurately without doing that? We did this, of course. Just not with the criminal company.

By the way, “Reputable movers will have an online form you can fill out on their website. The form is not designed to send you prices right away – it is designed to send the moving company information about your move so that they are better prepared when they call you and when they eventually come to your home” – that’s exactly the problem though. Giving away information which could be used against you. Out of a hundred apples, one might be rotten – but that’s all it takes.

You’re welcome. I hate to hear stories like these! Most professional movers take such pride in their work and then these guys come along and ruin it for everyone. Such is life I guess

I just wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know I agree about the identity theft situation. That’s very disturbing. Have you reported this to the FMCSA?

You are right that giving personal information away online is always a risk – but that’s true in any case, not just with movers. People should always use discretion. On our online forms, we ask the same questions that we would ask if you called us directly and none of the fields are mandatory in order to submit the form. Still, I suppose this information could be used maliciously if in the wrong hands. So, it really comes down to your confidence in the company you are contacting. The easiest way ensure that you are moving with a reputable company is to contact the local agents for the major van lines (Atlas, United, Mayflower, Allied, etc.) or, if you prefer to work with independent movers, vet them through the FMCSA (or Movingscam.com) prior to submitting any personal information.

Again, all the best. Hopefully your post will help others avoid a similar fate.

During the 80’s we moved many times. We have been here for the last 19 years. I told my wife if she ever wanted to move again I would make it easy. Burn everything and move the ashes. Should be able to do it in 4, 5 gallon buckets.

admin

August 23rd, 2010 at 10:13 PM

Thanks Page! I agree with you – I’ve moved enough times that I’ve seen plenty of good movers who did a great job and didn’t try and overcharge.

FMCSA? No.. not aware of it. I know the moving company we originally contracted reported this to several places, it might be one of them.

admin

August 23rd, 2010 at 10:13 PM

Hey James, I wish that were possible. Usually I’m the one who likes to keep stuff I don’t need

Zoran

August 24th, 2010 at 4:49 AM

Man that was crazy experience! Did you move to San Diego? Just kidding… I know moving is not fun but at least keeps life de-cluttered. We moved across the USA with 2 suitcases one papers/documents the other some clothes for kids… but we are very extreme.

admin

August 24th, 2010 at 10:18 AM

Hey Zoran! 2 suitcases and that’s all? You really are extreme. The last time I moved with so little was when I was in college. We do use the opportunity for throwing away stuff but that much.

Either way, I’m sure it makes your move much easier – though you need to buy everything from scratch, including the big things like furniture.

Udi, this was a cautionary tale. Wow, I would never have thought about the possibility of this happening. Thanks for sharing this information!
.-= Terri Nakamura@designer´s last blog ..To Lead a Life Worth Living =-.

First off, I am glad that it did work out for the best. Second, OMG! It is more than scary. Not even about the belongings. If these people are that determined to rip you off, then who knows what the next step would be. Holding your puppy for ransom? or, a human family member? It makes you wonder if they are not in league with the Eastern European organized crime groups.

@Paige, thank you for the great heads up information. As with anything, there are always bad mixed in with the good, and they give a bad name to everyone.
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